After helping a local client last week whose VPN went down during a storm, I realized most folks still think “remote work setup” means a laptop and Zoom. That’s not enough.

Here’s what I use (and recommend):

• Tailscale for secure mesh VPN (no more port forwarding headaches)
• Syncthing for peer-to-peer file sync
• A local NAS for backups and quick access
• A kill switch on outbound cloud traffic (because I like to know)

None of this is fancy. But it works. If you’re serious about remote work, stop thinking about “tools” and start thinking about infrastructure. Even if it’s just you and your cat.